


To Heal and to Harm

by meglioseoravai



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Asian Character(s), Consent, Future Fic, M/M, Minor Violence, Mutant Powers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-10-24 23:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17713874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meglioseoravai/pseuds/meglioseoravai
Summary: Nothing worries super agent Jason Wang, strongest man alive. Nothing but a kid who can steal his powers and the never-ending crush for his teammate Karma.





	To Heal and to Harm

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to TheAdam_Wolf for betaing!  
> Enjoy!

 

April 19th, 2023, just another day for Jason Wang. He doesn't wake up because he hasn't slept, he doesn't eat because he hasn't felt hungry in a couple of weeks. All normal for him. Some people control the weather, some people read minds, Jason is very, very strong and doesn't need to sleep or eat. He's like an anvil, resistant and immovable and just as heavy. Jason Wang is not fat, mind you, he’s just dense, solid. Short. _Super compact_ , he likes to say. With an emphasis on _super_. Because, of course, Jason Wang is not a normal human being. Something literally grew in him. He was born a normal baby from two normal parents, but at age 10 he could both his parents together. Now there are no limits to how much weight his muscles can stand.

Jason Wang is the strongest man alive. Nothing can scratch him, nothing can harm him. No illnesses, nothing. Jason knows there must be a catch somewhere, maybe some aftereffect he hasn’t found yet, but till now things have been going great and he’s not the kind of man to complain if there’s nothing physical to complain about.

Jason is strong, Jason is good, so Jason works as a superhuman. It’s logical, you see? He can help people, he can sustain society with the bare strength of his own shoulders. So he does and he’s happy about it. He doesn’t really have to do everything by himself, though. There’s a group of them, spread all over the world, a growing number of people who were born humans and became something a little bit different, a little bit out of the ordinary. Jason’s interests never lied with science but he has a vague memory from high school, a boring biology professor reading a pamphlet about _them_. There are no easy answers, there never are, but a possible explanation is that humanity has ruined earth, and nature has changed, modified, molded itself in new shapes in return. Rhinos and elephants born without horns are proof of that, just as much as Jason himself. 

Jason doesn’t really want to be cheesy - with great power comes a quote everyone knows, but it’s not wrong, ok? There’s wisdom in those words and he has always believed in them. So as soon as his blood started to mutate in his veins, as soon as his body stopped behaving like a normal body should, since then Jason knew he wanted to join E.S.A.

E.S.A, East-Asia Super Hero Alliance; Esa, in short. With three headquarters in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul, Esa is both his workplace and his home. He has a purpose there, he has friends that are closer than family. Even if sometimes they are annoying, even if said friends don’t tell him there’s a scheduled meeting until he gets off the jet in Hong Kong and he’s approached by a ruffled assistant.

“Doctor Tanaka is waiting for you. Conference Room n. 2.”

Jason doesn’t run because it’s not dignified but he stomps there with the decision of a man who must weigh at least three hundred kilos - he doesn’t know, actually. He stopped weighing himself after breaking three scales.

The truth is that Jason is afraid of only two people in the world. One is his mom, the other one is Doctor Tanaka, a fiery middle-aged woman, short and with a greying bob. She’s his team coordinator and IT specialist. She gives a mean, cold stare and a tight-lipped smile when she’s displeased. Scary.

He steps in the Conference Room as graciously as his body manages, that is, not much. Everyone is already there, seated around a long, wooden table. All heads turn immediately on him. Jason bows a couple of times as a lame sort of excuse, avoids Tanaka’s icy stare with all his might, and sits beside the team leader, Whitewing, and promptly elbows her in the ribs.

“You asshole,” he hisses and only sees the curving of a smile under her mask. She’s his best friend, he can call her asshole if she deserves it. They were besties even before being placed in the same team but now they’re just great together, they really are.

“We have a special investigative mission for you,” Tanaka is saying. “I know some of you have just come back from Cambodia,” her eyes land on Jason, Jason tries not to squirm, “but you’re the only senior team available and this could possibly become an F Code. We can’t send a junior team.”

A Fugitive Code. An unregistered super on the loose. Jason frowns. He’s never liked this kind of missions. He joined to serve people, not to trail after scared and lost teenagers. Most of them are just unsettled by their new powers, he doesn’t think treating them like criminals helps anyone.

“We’ll take care of this,” Whitewing replies and the matter is settled. Tanaka nods.

"The target is David Wei." The face of a young man appears on the screen behind her. He looks like a normal kid, black short hair and pale skin. Slightly moping at the camera. "He was last seen at 7PM near Taipei Main Station, Taiwan. Current location is unknown. Characteristics are unknown. Required extreme care and attention. The Taiwanese Government is aware of the situation and trusts we will use maximum discretion."

All the info flash out on the embedded pad in the suit, just there on Jason’s inner forearm. He scrolls down at it, interested despite himself, and when he raises his head Tanaka is speaking again.

“Power Lord, Karma,” she points at him and at Karma. Jason can’t help but glance at the guy at the other end of the table and feels a familiar jump inside his ribs, “you are the least noticeable. You’ll serve as a front.”

Shit. This is getting bad.

“You know how it works,” Tanaka says, impervious to his inner struggles. “Observe and approach the target. Avoid any hostility. Ice Killer, Whitewing and Wildfire,” she gestures at the others, “you will provide backup if something happens.”

And with that, the meeting ends. Tanaka snaps back on her feet, followed slowlier by all of them. His team.

“The jet will be ready in thirty minutes. I’ll call you then,” she says and walks away.

 

**

 

Jason thinks of a solution but there’s none, he’s just wasting time. Tanaka is right, she always is. Whitewing has giant - well - _white wings_. Her superhero name is pretty obvious. Wildfire and Ice Killer are less noticeable if you don’t look at them closely. It takes two glances, though, to see that Wildfire has big, bright red eyes. He’s kinda scary. He looks like a demon, he can set things on fire with a snap of his fingers, but he’s really just a giant teddy bear from Hokkaido. He likes his ramen oily and dense and can’t crack a funny joke to save his life but hey, he’s a nice one. Still, pretty noticeable.

Ice Killer is not a nice person at all, she's a bit bitchy and Jason doesn't want to wander on stereotypes, but the girl can be cold as hell. She's a good teammate, though, always thinking two steps ahead, always covering their backs. Jason can't ask for anything more, really. Over the years, he has also learned how to handle her swinging, frigid moods so all its fine. Aside from the fact that a thick layer of ice spreads from her every step, so yeah. Not exactly the best for stealth in a busy, crowded city like Taipei.

That leaves Karma. The thorn in his side, the man who’s making him suffer since day one in Esa, back when he was eighteen and easy to crush on tall, lean, handsome men with wide shoulders and wide chests. Like Karma. As it's easy to guess, the crush hasn't really gone away, it's still there after six years, three of which they’ve spent on the same team in the same team. It only intensifies as Jason remembers Karma's small mouth, his high cheekbones, and his sharp, black eyes. Karma is handsome. Jason has seen him without a mask four times and he knows he's Minsoo from Seoul, but it’s still not enough. He wants to know all about his life, he wants to get to know him deeply and be familiar around him like he is with Whitewing and the others. However, there’s always a sort of awkwardness around them and it’s partly because of him and his crush, and partly because of Karma’s quiet nature.

“What’s with the long face?” Whitewings drops in the seat in front of him. Jason has been avoiding her since they boarded the jet, looking over the window, watching as the Hong Kong's skyscrapers are being left behind and replaced by a vast expanse of open water. But with the limited space available it's only a matter of time before she finally finds him.

“You can’t see my face,” he answers. Just to make his point clear, he nudges at his mask. She’s not impressed.

“I can still see your lips,” she shrugs. “Is it because you’re partnered with Karma?”

She only smiles at his brooding silence.

“Come on, man. It won’t be that bad.”

“If you say so…” It’s difficult not to whine when that’s all Jason wants to do. He still tries to keep his voice down, though. He’s the only one with an augmented hearing but he doesn’t want anyone to eavesdrop.

Whitewing takes pity on him and pats his knee.

“Walk around with him, talk a bit, just the two of you. Also, no mask, man! That means you’ll see his face and he’ll see yours. It will be easier to communicate. Just be yourself.”

 

**

Easier said than done. Jason has tried to be himself for the past three years. It’s obviously not enough, as they roam around Taipei Main Station, the hot smell of steamed pork buns filling his nose.

“These streets all look the same,” he complains and maybe he’s already said that. Yeah, he probably has.

“Uhm,” Karma only hums at his side. He’s dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt and looks like a god.  

"So what do we do?" Jason insists, fidgeting with his hands. He looks right and left but all he can see are tea shops and hot pot restaurants. "We just ask around? Totally not suspicious."

Karma nods. His neutral expression doesn’t change.

“We separate,” he says.

“Separate?” Jason is not sure he understood. The man has such a soft, quiet voice, it’s not easy to hear him in the crowd.

“We look less intimidating.”

“You think we’re intimidating?” he asks, bemused. He catches the man glancing down at him, lingering maybe a bit too much at the muscles of his arms, visible under his thin white t-shirt. He catches that but doesn’t think twice of it. When Karma doesn’t offer anything else, he just surrenders. “You think we’re intimidating. Fine. We separate.”

He can’t say he’s happy but he was not happy to begin with. The air cools down, the sky darkens as he wanders around, looking out for Wei. He asks people too, Karma a humming presence in his earpiece.

“Have you seen this guy? He’s my friend. I came to visit from Hong Kong but I lost my phone...” With dubious results. No one saw, no one knows.

It’s one hour later when he finally spots a familiar face, a miracle in a big city like Taipei. Wei is there, alone in a dirty alley, cowering on himself.

"Hey, buddy!" he calls and walks over, a pretty smile on his lips. He has to look friendly. In his ear, Karma is telling him he'll reach his position. "Are you David Wei? It's nice to see you because-"

But before he finishes, Wei lashes out and hits him hard on the chest. Jason feels it, he feels the pain. He shouldn’t.

“Don’t look for me,” the kid says, standing up. He towers overs Jason as Jason gasps and falls on his knees on the sidewalk. “Next time I won’t be this nice.”

He turns to run but Jason can’t let him. He presses on the legs to move, to do anything, and he stumbles after him. It ends up being the wrong idea. He gets close enough for Wei to shove him back again, hand on the chest, with such tremendous force he hits a wall and slides down on the ground. Breathless, a line of blood running from his mouth. Injured, probably very, very badly, as everything starts going black at the edges. He can feel something that shouldn’t be broken puncturing his insides.

“Oh shoot. This hurts,” he groans and closes his eyes. An instant later, someone is cradling his head.

“Power Lord, status.”

He can’t answer, he’s too busy not dying.

“I’ll stay with him. Go after Wei,” another voice says. The hands on his face are cold.

“Jason, Jason…” someone repeats and repeats. Jason opens his eyes just to make it stop and sees Karma close, looking down at him.

“What…”

Karma scowls and bites his lips.

“Can I?” he murmurs and Jason doesn’t understand what he wants for a moment, then agrees easily enough.

“Oh sure, just kiss me. It’s a good way to die.”

Jason misses a lot of things in his life, he’s just not attentive enough, so he doesn't see the way Karma’s eyes widen at his words and his cheeks turn a rosy pink. The man sounds patient, though, as he gets closer still, their faces almost touching, his long fingers spreading on Jason’s temples.

“No. Can I heal you? I need your permission to heal you.”

Oh. Through foreign waves of pain, Jason is suddenly aware of his huge misstep.

“Heal me, of course. Of course. Silly me. Go on, go on.”

He just finished mumbling when a new sensation takes him, from the head down to the tips of hands and toes. It's a nice, warm feeling and Jason immediately recognizes it for what it is, Karma's power healing him from inside. It starts as a blanket on the legs, comfortable and familiar, but soon gets too much, too strong, too fast, too overwhelming. He blacks out.

 

**

 

He comes back to his senses as he's hoisted up. It's so unexpected he startles.

“What happened?” he groans. He's not in pain but something in his body is twisting unpleasantly.

Karma doesn't answer, he's puffing as he's bringing Jason with him through Taipei's deserted streets. It must be late. There's a dog barking somewhere.

“Power Lord, Karma! Status!” Whitewing shouts in the earpiece.

“We’re on the way. Power Lord is injured.”

Jason shakes his head.

“I was. You healed me.”

Other voices merge in their ears.

“What? Power Lord is injured?” It's Ice Killer who asks. “Is that possible?”

“I thought you were immortal, man,” Wildfire pipes in. Whitewing ignores them both. She sounds grim when she says:

“We lost Wei. Let's regroup in the safe house.”

 

**

 

Jason barely remembers the trip back. He knows Karma pushes him inside a taxi, ungraciously. Jason still weighs more than a normal man, even now that there is something missing in his core. It's not easy to explain, it's the first time Jason has been robbed of his powers, but he's sure of it. The feeling is unmistakable. It's like a void at the center of the chest. Wei must have taken his strength and almost killed him with it. Oh, the irony.

He's not lucid when they finally arrive at the safehouse. The others are already there, spots of white, red and light blue in a grey, ratty apartment. Karma takes him to the sofa. Jason's head swims.

“Wow, your thingy thing is really…” he mumbles with a gesture of his hand. “It's all fuzzy.”

Whitewing leans over him, her maskless face glowering. She changed her hair since the last time Jason saw it. It's really short, unruly and platinum blonde. It complements her olive skin.

“Is it normal?” she asks, but not at him.

“Yes,” Karma replies. His voice is softer than usual. “His body had to go through accelerated healing...”

Jason drops his head on the sofa. His mind sort of comes and goes after that. The next time he is aware of himself, his head is on Ice Killer's lap. They're alone.

“Where am I?” He tries to stand up but he barely feels his legs. He gives up.

"At the safe house. Karma brought you here." Ice Killer doesn't even glance down at him, too busy checking something on her pad. Minutes go by, he's not sure. Someone is arguing in another room.

“I feel weird,” he says, eyes closing by themselves. Ice Killer pats him on the forehead.

“It's ok. Just stay here.”

 

**

 

Next time Jason wakes up, he feels better and almost back to his normal self.

It's also morning, a tepid grey light coming through the windows. He sits up on the sofa and passes a heavy hand on the face. A weight drops beside him.

“Hey, you're awake.” Wildfire.

“Am I?” he groans, but there's a hint of humor there too.

“How are you feeling?”

“Groggy. Tired. Ok.”

Wildfire seems relieved when Jason looks at him. He's smiling and back in his suit. Pose relaxed.

“You gave us a scare,” he says. “Don't get your powers stolen again.”

So they figured it out too, uhm. No wonder Ice Killer was so nice to him. They must have been worried sick.

“I'll try my best,” Jason scoffs. He stretches his arms and legs. He does feel normal, or as normal as he has ever been, his usual weigh anchoring him down. It's almost soothing compared to the void from before.

He walks around in the living room under Wildfire's keen eyes. He's tempted to check the fridge for some food when the door of the apartment opens and three figures walk in their civilian clothes.

Karma is the first one to approach him, bags of warm, appetizing food in his hands.

"Power Lord… in my haste, I must have overcharged you. You were sick because of me. Please forgive me." He talks fast like he has been practicing the same sentences over and over again. He probably has.

“Are you really apologizing for healing me?” Jason laughs, giving him a friendly slap on a shoulder. His heart shakes at the touch but he swallows it down. “You saved my life! Thank you, Minsoo. I'm in debt.”

Maybe it's because he used his real name, but Karma blushes hard and folds on himself.

“There are no debts between partners,” he murmurs without looking at him. It still makes Jason smile.

“That was sweet,” Ice Killer interrupts the magic, “Now what do we do about Wei?”

"Wei was seen at the airport not more than ten minutes ago," the omnipresent Tanaka answers in their ears. "I don't think I have to tell you he's been cataloged as an F Code. Local police forces are suggested not to engage without us."

“What's his destination?”

“Tokyo.”

 

**

 

They fly to Tokyo. It's snowing when they arrive, pale light giving an eerie glow to the city. It's so different from Taipei, which is always hot and humid.

“Ok, no more delicate approaches,” Whitewing says. “Engage on sight.”

They separate in two groups and run through the streets, citizens parting in front of them like the Red Sea. Jason doesn't care about the colors of their suits, his is still an acceptable dark grey, but they are useful in this kind of situations. People recognize them, they don't interfere, they help them. It's not the stealthiest approach, but it has its benefits.

“He was last seen here minutes ago. He must be close,” Ice Killer says as they stop at a crossroad.

“The security cameras just spotted Wei three hundred meters from your location,” Tanaka answers her.

“Which direction?”

“Between Chome-24 Ōi and Chome-49 Ōi.”

They jog to the place. As they get closer, a bitter, thick smell fills their noses. A multi-story building comes into view, devoured by flames in an unnatural speed. It's bad, it's really bad, a chaos of people crying and yelling, of sirens blasting in the air, of dense, black smoke. Jason and Ice Killer don't even have to talk about it. They rush inside, innocent civilians at the front of their priorities. They're at the third floor, escorting a group of businessmen out when suddenly a roof beam collapses over their heads. Jason catches it with a grunt, muscles shaking at the effort.

“Fuck. Fuck fuck.” He grits his teeth. It’s more difficult than it should be. It shouldn’t be difficult at all.

“Power Lord!” Ice Killer shouts.

“I’m fine! Go on!” His knees quake but Jason doesn’t give up. “Go!”

She doesn't need him to repeat. They both know what's at stake. She throws him a last cutting glance and ushers everyone out. Once alone, Jason tosses the roof beam on the floor. He's panting, out of air and energies, when something moves in the corner of his eye. The same familiar face, rushing up the stairs.

“Wei is here!” he yells to the others and runs after him.

“There’s a registered super in this neighborhood,” Tanaka’s voice whispers in his ear. “Minami Takeuchi. She controls fire.”

“Where is she now?” he asks, jumping three steps at a time.

“My guess is in the building.”

Jason follows Wei up to the last floor. Everything is black and red and crumbling to pieces, a hell of smoke and flames Jason can stand only thanks to his superpowers. Even then, he feels the blinding heat on his face. It’s starting to hurt, he’s starting to feel sick. There's only so much his enhanced lungs and skin can take in.

“I told you not to look for me anymore.” Wei is in the middle of the hallway, a young girl in his arms. He doesn’t turn to look at Jason.

"Let the girl go," Jason yells through the roar of the fire.

“Stop looking for me! Let me be!”

“Let that girl go!” he insists but it’s not working. Wei’s shoulders are slouched forward, his gaze glossy.

“Why are you doing this?” Another voice behind him asks. Ice Killer. And Whitewing, Jason notices. She’s wrapped in a thin veil of ice, courtesy of their team member, but she’s still sweating profusely. The heat is unbearable.

“You won’t believe me.”

“Try.”

“I can’t!” the kid suddenly shouts and next thing they know, he throws the girl at them and jumps out of the window.

“Watch out!”

“Follow him!” And Whitewing does, spreads her wings and leaps into the sky.

 

**

 

Whitewing loses him again. Wei dissolves into thin air, a bare meter away from her. Invisibility, stolen or forcefully acquired. They go to Tokyo Esa headquarters, smelling of smoke and exhausted, and rest in a conference room, waiting for Tanaka’s news on the case. After tending to the others, Karma walks up to Jason and grabs his wrist.

“Are you ok?” the man murmurs. He still has his mask on and Jason can’t see his expression. He likes to think his eyes look concerned.

“I'm fine,” he smiles, pleased at the attention. “Just tired.”

Wildfire, who’s sitting on a nearby armchair, lunchbox in his hands, zeroes on him:

“You're never tired.”

Good point. Jason should have kept his mouth shut. Karma pushes him on another armchair. Jason falls on it with an "umpf” but otherwise doesn’t protest. Karma manhandling him is actually quite hot.

“Don’t you need my permission?” he asks as he starts feeling a familiar, warm sensation spreading from his wrist. It’s pleasant. Like hot chocolate, a cold beer in summer, like everything Jason finds easy and good.

“You already gave it once. Did you change your mind?” Karma answers and almost sounds amused.

“Of course not.” His laugh trembles at the end. It’s difficult to sound normal when Karma touches him.

“So?” Wildfire asks after a while. Behind him, Ice Killer and Whitewing are also staring.

“He’s pulling my powers,” Karma hums, pensive. “He never needed them before.”

“It's probably just a lingering residue from yesterday.”

“Yeah, my buddy here almost died, cut him some slack.”

“Does he feel different to you?” Whitewing steps in. “From us?”

“Yes, but it's unclear if it's because of yesterday or because…” Karma pauses, “...he's Power Lord.”

Whitewing scowls with her mouth.

“How’s that girl, Takeuchi?”

“She’s fine.”

“Her powers?”

“Back to 100%.”

Everyone turns on Jason with varied expressions of concern. Jason raises his free hand at them.

“Hey, calm down, my friends. My powers are back, just weaker than expected. Nothing to worry about. Let’s think about this Wei guy, first, ok?” He doesn’t convince them, Karma doesn’t let him go, but Tanaka interrupts anyway and they all get distracted.

“You were right,” the woman appears on the screen, out of nowhere. “From the security camera, it appears like Wei must have some sort of invisibility power. We haven’t been able to track him again. We found something else, though. George and Samantha Wei disappeared after pressing charges against their son three days ago. They were seen last time two days ago by Wei’s sister, Jenny.”

“Was it Wei? Did he killed them?”

She nods.

“It is a possibility we need to consider.”

“Why did they press charges against him?”

“He attacked his sister.”

“Where is she, now?”

“She’s with us.”

“Any idea of why he chose Taipei and Tokyo?” Jason asks. It has been in his mind for a while.

“Yes,” Tanaka promptly replies, never taken by surprise. “The Wei’s company have three branch offices, one in Taipei, one in Tokyo and one in Naha, Okinawa.”

“Let me guess,” Wildfire sneers. “The company was in the building on fire.”

“Exactly.”

“Did something happened to the one in Taipei, by any chance?”

“Yes. There was a gas leaking. All the floor was involved in the explosion.”

“Any casualties?”

Tanaka shakes her head.

“None, it happened on Saturday night. All the offices were empty.”

That is the best news they have received so far. Jason sighs.

“Well, it seems like we entered some family drama.”

“Is he trying to destroy something?” Ice Killers says, “Or does he just have a grudge against them?”

Jason shrugs. They still have no way of knowing.

Whitewing stands up, clasps her hands together and gives in a sigh of her own.

“Next stop Okinawa?” she asks. Tanaka gives her one of the rare, thin-lipped smiles.

“Exactly. You have thirty minutes.”

 

**

 

“This is really going too fast for my liking,” Jason mutters as they board the jet, again.

“Are you tired, Power Lord?”

He’s quick to deny.

“No no, of course not.” He doesn’t want to attract even more concern. “I just wonder how you guys do it all the time.”

“Welcome to the mortal world.” From where he’s slouched, Wildfire kicks his seat. “We get tired, we sleep. If we don’t sleep we get more tired. It’s a vicious circle.”

“It really sucks.” And it does. Jason doesn't want to brag, but his superpowers are the best. No food, no sleep required? Please, so much better than anyone else.

“Whitewing,” Tanaka's voice breaks the quiet atmosphere.

“Here.”

“Minami Takeuchi is awake. She remembers two people aside from Wei. A woman and a man. They were arguing with him. She doesn't remember putting the building on fire.”

“Wei stole her powers and did it.” Ice Killer crosses her arms over the chest.

“Do we think of accomplices?” Wildfire asks. “Or of the parents?”

“Why would the parents be with him? They pressed charges against him.”

"This doesn't make any sense," Jason sighs. From the cushioned seat beside him, Karma reaches over to place a hand on his knee. His power warms Jason's limbs. He's instantaneously less tired, less hopeless, happier. He's also blushing hard and thanking the mask for covering half of his face. If he knew being somewhat powerless would have made Karma so affectionate, he would have looked for Wei earlier.

“We’re missing some crucial info here, guys,” Wildfire shakes his head. “My instincts are screaming at me.”

“We’ll know soon enough,” Whitewing answers him and looks as tough as ever.

 

**

 

They're almost there, ready to disembark when Karma speaks up.

“Whitewing,” he calls. His soft voice carries over to their team leader. He grasps one hand in the other on his lap, and says: “I don’t think Power Lord should be in this.”

Jason turns so fast he gives himself a whiplash.

“What!? Why?”

Karma doesn’t look at him. From the direction he’s facing, he’s probably eyeing the roof of the jet. He still answers, though, back straight and rigid.

“Your powers are not fully back. You still pull me.”

“I'm completely fine!” Jason insists. They’re all in the same kind of danger with a kid who can steal powers, Karma should know that.

“You shouldn’t be on the field.”

Ouch. That stang.

“That’s unfair,” Jason scowls. “I’m just trying to do my job here.”

“You can’t defend yourself,” Karma murmurs and finally looks at him.

There are no eyes for Jason to meet, only the thick material of the mask, yet something happens. Maybe it's in the way Karma touches him, the hand reaching over for his knee again, comforting and warm. Maybe it's in the way Karma speaks to him, tender and calm, so different from his imposing physique and still so inherently him. Or maybe, _maybe_ , it's because everything Karma does reminds him of the softness of his healing powers, of the way they spread inside Jason, slow and warm. No one ever told him that's how Karma's powers feel. It's the only thing he can think of.

“I can,” he swallows, his throat suddenly dry. Flustered, he turns away. “I’m just not as strong as usual.”

“You can get hurt.”

“Just as much as you guys.”

Karma shakes his head.

“We have our powers. We’ve had all of our lives to learn how to be careful. You never had to.” Jason can't be angry at him, not when the man is right and Jason likes him too much for his own good. He’s still pissed, though. And especially so as the others step in.

“Karma has a point. He has never been tired before,” Ice Killer says, long legs elegantly crossed.

“Oh come on! I’ve been tired before!”

“You usually nap once every two weeks, bro,” Wildfire says, then raises both hands in surrender at Jason's glare. “Hey, just saying!”

“They’re reasonable concerns,” Karma insists.

Jason wants to stomp on his feet. Whitewing hasn't talked yet, and only regarded them with an attentive frown, but Jason knows her well. There's no hope for him in the way her mouth curves down and her fingers tap on the armrest.

"Your strength, hearing, and vision haven't come back fully. Have they?" she asks.

“No.” A simple word of defeat.

“Sorry, man,” the woman says, “you’ll sit this one out.”

Jason is not happy. He stands up and walks away, taking the mask off and trying his best not to look angry. He understands but he doesn’t like it. He should go out there with them. He still has enough power for that. He’s not that helpless. He gets it, though. No mission is that important for him to risk another collapsed lung. Or for Wei to steal his strength and kill people - or his team members - with his bare hands.

Whitewing appears on his side and grasps his elbow.

“Hey,” she says, uncharacteristically soothing. She leads him to a corner of the little jet. “It’s only a matter of days, maybe hours. Be patient. The world is not gonna crumble without you. Trust us, ok?”

“Alright.” Jason crosses his arms above the chest. He’s already mollified. He looks down at the carpeted floor. “What if it takes weeks?”

“Then you’ll take a long vacation somewhere.”

He inhales and exhales. He really doesn’t like it.

“Are you sending me back to headquarters?” he asks her. She laughs at him.

“No, you silly. You can still help from the safehouse. Coordinate with Tanaka. Search for some info, dunno.”

When they’re on land again and it’s time to separate, Wildfire pats him on a shoulder as they rush away. Time is tight.

“Don’t be mad,” he shouts.

“I’m not mad,” Jason pouts and calls a taxi.

 

**

 

“This is boring.”

Jason is alone, lying down on the wooden floor of the little apartment. Naha smells of salt and ocean, the weather out is warmer than Tokyo, almost spring-like, as the sun is getting orange in the late afternoon.

Wei has not appeared yet, but the team has its eyes on Wei's parents and it's currently following them. Aside from listening to his members' stilted conversation, Jason has nothing to do. So he checks Wei's history, his background, and then checks Wei's socials too because he's curious and you never know. He doesn't see anything interesting in the beginning, but digging in he spots a picture from 2019, tagged in Naha. There's a two-store narrow and tall building there, painted in red. It's near the downtown, he finds out after googling the location. It's not far from Jason, either.

“Whitewing,” he calls her, sitting up. “I have another lead.”

"What? Where?" she pants in his ear, thecadentic rhythm of someone who’s running fast.

“A house. Wei has a picture from four years ago,” he explains, “I think it’s worth to check it out.”

Silence. He almost expects her to refuse because of the same reasons he couldn’t join them, but she replies:

“Alright. I’ll send Karma over. Gimme your position.”

 

**

 

Jason runs and doesn’t wait, something he knows really well he shouldn't do. When he breaks inside the red house he’s slightly out of breath. He was right, though. Wei is standing in the living room, tall and intimidating, caught in the middle of something. He slowly turns to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Didn’t you learn the first time?”

“I’m not a good student.” Jason shrugs, then says: “We have your parents. We can sort this out.”

It’s not entirely true but it catches the kid’s attention.

“My parents?”

“Yes.”

“What about my sister? Is she safe?”

Wei sounds concerned. Not what Jason expects from someone who assaulted his own sister. (He) It puts the information aside for later.

“Yes,” he answers, smoothing his face in a friendly expression. He gentles his next words: “What happened, David?”

The kid shakes his head and takes one step behind, away from him. His stance gets defensive, his eyes lost in thought.

“You are not going to believe me.”

Jason moves, slowly, as not to scare him.

“Try me.”

“Don’t come any closer!” Wei yells and Jason immediately stops. It takes an instant, in that stilled situation of theirs, to realize something is moving inside him, something dark and unpleasant. Jason glances down at his chest but sees nothing. When he looks up at Wei, the kid is staring at him too, eyes large and white.

“David. What are you doing?” he asks. He grasps the fabric of his suit, as he somehow could shake the sensation off like that.

“I'm still linked to you,” Wei murmurs and frowns. He gets closer.  

“What? Stop it!” Jason gasps in sudden pain. He falls on his knees as Wei takes another step towards him.

“I don’t know how to do it…” the kid is mumbling, “I didn’t know I was still taking your powers.”

And he’s doing it at a very alarming speed. Not just his powers, his strength too, this time. He’s taking more. Jason curls inwards, vision blurry, bracing himself on his knees and a shaking arm. He can see Wei’s shadow on the old, dusty tatami floor, towering over him, but he can’t move away.

“Don't touch me,” he heaves.

“I don’t know what else to do…”

Wei almost sounds sorry. When he touches him it hurts, it hurts like hell. Jason feels his body drop on the floor as Wei’s hand tightens around his arm. Then it stops, as sudden as it started. Jason pants through waves of pain as a dark blue figure takes Wei by the throat and lifts him in the air. Dark, thick lines run from Wei’s throat up to his temples. The kid shouts in agony, his body trashing out of control. Jason can barely think but he understands enough.

“Don’t kill him!” he yells at Karma. Then his body shuts down and sees no more.  

 

**

 

For someone who never sleeps, Jason has been waking up too many times. He blinks at the bright light on the ceiling and the white walls. There’s a steady beeping noise in his ears. He’s at an infirmary, small and packed with tired team members.

“You’re awake,” Whitewing pats his hand. She's without her mask and has deep, purple shadows under her eyes. 

“What the hell happened,” he groans.

“That’s a good question. What do you remember?”

“Going to the house. Talking with the kid. My powers-” He tries to sit up on the bed but he’s shaking too much. Whitewing pushes him back down.

“Lie down, you big boy.”

“Your powers are still there, just weak.” Karma’s voice feels like a balm on Jason’s tired mind. He turns to check on him and finds him propped on in another bed, looking just as exhausted as everyone else. He is also the one attached to the beeping machine, but he doesn't look hurt, just forceless.

Jason takes a moment to breathe before starting with more questions, but the room is too quiet, the mood perhaps a bit too low.

“Is this how death feels?” he jokes, tone high and petulant. He gets what he wants. Wildfire chuckles at him, Ice Killer snorts in badly concealed amusement. Even Karma’s lips turn upwards. The air in Jason’s lungs is suddenly less heavy.

“Don’t be a drama queen,” Whitewing smiles and pats his hand again. “What else do you remember?”

“The kid,” Jason answers. “We talked but then he was doing some weird stuff…” Everything is a bit too foggy in his mind. “I don’t know. He was taking too much all together.”

Whitewing nods and sits on his side on the bed. In the silence of the room, Wildfire loudly slurps at his orange juice.

“Is he…” Jason asks. He doesn’t know how, though. He steals a glance at Karma, but the man doesn’t give anything away. While he doesn’t speak much of his powers, they all know about it, about that side of it Karma himself doesn’t like. This is the first time Jason has seen it, though. It is a very big deal.

“He’s still alive. Unconscious,” Whitewing answers.

A sigh of relief.

“The parents?”

“Alive, too. They were hiding from their son all along. They’re free of charges. They’ll be interrogated and they can’t leave the country but that’s it.”

There’s something missing there, Jason is sure of it. His brain is still too foggy to remember, though. He shakes his head.

“We have to sort all this shit out because it still doesn’t make any sense.”

Whitewing slaps his thigh.

"We, Tanaka, Ice Killer, Wildfire and I," she says with a pointed look. "You two," she waves her finger at Jason and Karma, "are on vacation till Monday."

“Whaat?”

“Orders from above. And be thankful they’re not reprimanding you for not waiting for backup.”

Jason slumps back on the tiny bed. He can’t protest against that. From the wall he’s leaning against, Wildfire clears his throat.

“There are nice islands in Okinawa,” he says, out of the blue. “You should go and travel around.”

Jason doesn’t have time to answer, Ice Killer throws something at him. Two thin pieces of paper land on his lap.

“We already bought you a boat ticket,” she crosses her arms on her chest, as to dare him not to go. “For both of you.”

Wait, what? Jason takes the tickets in his hands, and yes, it's two of them. He looks up and for the second time in a few minutes, he doesn't find the right words.

“What if I want to go home?” he blabbers.

“It would be a waste of two good tickets,” Ice Killer shrugs, freezing cold, totally not getting the panic setting inside Jason. Jason looks at her, then at the encouraging smiles on Wildfire and Whitewing’s faces. He risks a glance at Karma, but the man is as placid as always.

He leans over to Whitewing and desperately hisses:

"I don't think Karma wants to spend time alone with me." He fidgets with his hands. She tilts toward him.

“He doesn’t want to leave your side,” she whispers, imitating him. “He said he’s gonna stay with you until you’re back to normal. He’s worried about you.”

Jason stills. How is he supposed to interpret that?

“We both know he only loves puppies and babies,” he insists at the end.

“You’ll never know if you’ll never try.” Whitewing winks at him. “This is your real chance. Take it.”

She speaks like Karma isn't sitting one meter away. Jason wants to sink in the floor and die and decidedly doesn't turn his head to look at him. He’s not wearing a mask either, too, so his deep red blush is out in the open for everyone to see. This is really Jason's chance, isn't it? Jason has had a crush on the man since he was eighteen when he was still in the Hong Kong subunit. He would stare longingly at Karma as he walked by with that long, kilometric legs of his. He can't believe the man wants to stay with him outside of work. He's _worried_ about him, _he doesn’t want to leave his side_. It must mean something, right? A tiny, hopeful spark lights up inside his chest.

“We’ll leave in one hour,” Whitewing pats him one last time on the leg. “We’re going to bring Wei to Asa headquarters in Tokyo. You guys stay here. The boat will depart tomorrow at 5 PM, ok? Don’t be late.”

 

**

 

They decide they need some alcohol. Or well, Jason decides and Karma comes along. They sneak out of the Naha Police Department’s infirmary and walk in the first izakaya they spot. It's in a good location, near Kokusai Dori, close enough that there are customers inside but far enough from touristic spots that is not crowded. The bar feels lively in its red, diffused lights and the beer, Orion he remembers, feels like a blessing. Karma drinks as fast and with as much intention as Jason. He shouldn't be surprised, they have gone drinking together before, but it's difficult to remember sometimes that the man is not all softness and tenderness. He has a double edge, some spines on his stem. Or more than spines, as he can harm just as much as he can heal.

“So that’s why. Karma, your name,” he says at one point, after three beers, one shot of tequila and three plates each of beef and tuna tataki. He has been nervous as fuck before, but he's looser now. He can talk without feeling the unspoken tension between the two of them.

“Yes.” The other man is as laconic as always, though. Jason keeps asking.

“Did you choose it by yourself?”

“It was given.”

“Are there two sides of the same power?”

“I believe so.”

“How does it work?”

Karma, Minsoo, pauses. He takes a sip of his beer and looks forward.

“It requires a conscious effort either way.”

Jason raises both eyebrows.

“You mean that it doesn’t happen naturally?”

“No,” Minsoo shakes his head. His long, black hair sways with it. He looks so handsome, there, it’s almost painful. “I need to concentrate. The other person needs to accept it, too.”

“That’s why you always ask?” Jason skims over his face, transfixed. He has always wondered. Minsoo nods.

“That and because the process is really personal. For both sides.”

Oh? Under Jason’s attentive eyes, Minsoo drops his head down and curls the fingers of both hands around his beer. He has a little smile on, shy and cute, and his skin gets pink at the cheeks. When he talks again, his voice is so soft Jason has to lean closer to hear. “I always give something personal of mine when I use my powers. I’m always gifted with something personal in return.”

Jason doesn't understand what that means, he's too distracted by the way the red lights shine in Minsoo’s eyes. He wets his lips with his tongue, then asks:

“How about when you… like with Wei?”

“It hurts,” the man answers, voice hardening a bit. “Because I want to hurt others.”

No wonder the name Karma.

“And for the healing one?” Jason goes on. “How does it feel to you?”

Minsoo blushes hard. He glances at him, at his lips, then at his eyes again.

“It depends on the person,” he murmurs. Jason scoots closer to him just in time to catch: “It’s nice, with you.”

Oh. Jason’s chest swells with warmth. He doesn’t think, inebriated and taken by the moment, and reaches over to Minsoo’s hand. He hasn’t held it for more than one second that the familiar feeling of Karma’s powers rushes through his veins. His head swims in happiness.

“I don't know if I'm drunk of alcohol or drunk of you,” his lips say after a while. His heart beats so fast he wonders how he’s still alive. He turns Minsoo’s hand in his and smiles exhilarated as Minsoo interlaces their fingers together.  

“Why are you doing it?” he says aloud, the question pushed out of his mind. He’s asking about the healing power, but he doesn’t know what Minsoo understands. He just knows they are suddenly so close they’re breathing the same air and it’s hot, hot hot hot.

“I want to,” Minsoo’s mouth says. “You want it too.”

True, Jason’s mind offers. True, Jason’s heart agrees and another hand raises to cup half of Minsoo’s face.

“How about this?” he murmurs. “Do you want this?”

Minsoo nods and Jason can’t think anymore.

“And this?” he asks, getting closer and closer, one sigh away from his lips. Minsoo trembles in his hands.

“Yes,” the shaky exhale.

Then they kiss, then they don’t talk anymore.

 

**

 

It’s hours later. Jason is tracing Minsoo’s spine with the tip of his fingers, lulled by the slow rhythm of the man's sleep against him. He napped a little, still tired from the past few days, but it took only one hour or so for him to feel better. Now he just enjoys the warm presence of the other man curled around him, the softness of the bed and the soothing darkness of their hotel room. He has never been so much in peace with himself and the world. Sleeping with Minsoo completed him in ways he couldn't have imagined before. Now he just wants to keep it this way, him and the other man. Together, satiated.

He doesn't know what time it is when a familiar sound shakes him from his thoughts. Jason reaches with one arm to the earpiece he had abandoned on the nightstand. In the meantime, he gently shakes Minsoo awake.

It's Whitewing.

“Guys, sorry to interrupt your vacation,” she says.  “We need someone in Naha, asap.”

“What's happening?” Jason asks. Beside him, Monsoon sits up and puts his own earpiece on.

“Unregistered super activity. A witness saw a man and a woman disappearing in front of a building twenty minutes ago. Guess what?”

Jason scoffs.

“I think I already know.”

Whitewing’s next words don't leave space to interpretation.

“A man and a woman, around their fifties. In front of Samantha and George Wei’s company building.”  

Of course. There has been something prickling at his mind about this case. Here it is.

“So at least we know where David took his invisibility from,” he muses. “Any chance Wei got the power-sucking thing from his parents too?” It would be so so bad. Jason exchanges a glance with Minsoo, just in time to catch a line of tension appears on the other man's forehead.

From the other side, Whitewing's voice gets harsher.

“High. Deal with extreme caution. We are sending reinforcements over.”

 

**

 

They don't have time to waste, though. They run to Wei's company, blaring sirens of the police forces following them up from afar. It's not as good as having a super backup, but it will help if both Karma and Jason are incapacitated. The citizens’ safety is their primary concern.

On the way there, Karma grasps his wrist and doesn't let it go even if they run. His power hums inside Jason.

“You need to stop that if you want me with a clear head,” Jason tells him. He's smiling as he says so, he can't help it. His skin is prickling with the phantom sensation of Minsoo's hands on him. He doubts he will ever not associate Karma's powers with the kisses and the night they had just shared. Minsoo doesn't answer, only swiftly looks at him. It would be difficult to imagine what he is thinking, with the mask on and all, if the man didn't gently tighten his grip on Jason's wrist before letting it go.

They arrive fast, with the tepid light of a cloudy sunrise. The Wei's don't hear they come until Jason and Karma burst in through the doors of the company office.

“Aren’t the two of you a bit too old to be unregistered?” Jason shouts.

Samantha and George pause, freeze on their feet, hands sank into documents and papers. They straighten their backs as they look at them. The older man, grey at the temples, shakes his head.

“You’re too young to understand.”

Jason snorts.

“Is that what you said? That’s what you said to your son, too?”

“We were there when he discovered his powers.” It's Samantha who answers, so stiff she's trembling. Her hands are tight in two fists “We told him about us but he wouldn't understand. He wanted to be registered. He wanted to report us. We couldn’t accept that.”

“So you reported him instead?”

“He tried to run away with Jenny!” she yelled, tears dropping from her eyes. “We couldn’t let him.”

“That’s it?” Jason mocks her. He's past the time of niceties. “I don’t think that’s all that it is. Spill.”

“Oh, no…” her tone drops an octave. She falls into a battle stance, her husband disappearing into thin air behind her. “I think we talked long enough.” And she sprints towards them with the pure force of desperation.

It's Karma who goes against her. Given his unique powers, it's probably the only one Samantha can't easily suck dry and use at her own discretion. Jason sweeps his eyes around, trying to see movement in the uncomfortable low light of the office. He doesn't need to wait too much. George is sloppy and Samantha has lost her focus. Or maybe they're too old, too tired. They've been caught and they are now aware there's no more room to escape. Samantha falls in the ground with a loud thump, Jason is not looking but he guesses Karma must have used his degenerative powers on her. George blinks in and out of existence; it takes only that, a second, for Jason to catch on him and tackle him down.

The fight ends a bare minute after its beginning. It's devastatingly underwhelming. Jason and Karma escort the couple to the police station. It's only when the two of them are in front of an old coffee machine, trying to see if it's drinkable or not, that Jason lets himself step inside Minsoo's space again. As soon as he does that, it seems like he opens the gate for something new, something more. Minsoo reaches out for his hand, and even if he feels back to one hundred percent now, there's still the warm, unrelenting pulse coming to his bones. He wonders what that means, that Minsoo's powers are still working on him even when he's completely healthy. Or maybe it's not the healing humming through his veins now, maybe it's just Minsoo.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he feels the need to say, a reassuring noise coming out of his lips. “You? She touched you, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

Jason grimaces and brings the other man's hand to his lips. He kisses it.

“Does it hurt?” he asks against the skin.

Karma inhales behind the mask, his body visibly relaxes.

“A little.”

Some nice policeman brings them breakfast after. Jason eats sweet bread with strawberry milk even if doesn't feel the need to, unbothered by the buzzing activity surrounding them. It's almost one hour later when Whitewing, Wildfire and Ice Killer make their entrance.

“Nice of you to show up,” Jason tells them from a desk is perched on. He munches on his bread.

“Sorry we’re late,” Whitewing greets the officers and answers with a nod. Super professional if not for the nudge on the ribs Jason gets as she stops beside him.

“So, what the hell happened?” he asks, squinting up at her.

“David Wei is finally awake,” she says. She looks at Karma but the man has only half of his face uncovered and betrays no emotions. She continues:

"He gave us an interesting story. Samantha and George reported him so they could have the time to fly to Taipei, Tokyo, and Hana. Their company is a facade for money-laundering. It would all have come out if Asa decided to investigate on them. When they found out Wei disappeared too they decided to destroy everything and blame their son."

“That’s some shitty parenting,” Wildfire snorts. He takes one spare strawberry milk and drinks it with gusto.

Whitewing doesn't comment and goes on:

“Minami Takeuchi is pretty well-known in her neighborhood. They drugged and kidnapped her and used her powers.”

“And blamed their son again,” Ice Killer adds.

“They must have seen him attack me in Taipei,” Jason suddenly blabbers out. Shit.

“Exactly,” Whitewing nods again. “Nice trick to have, invisibility. They knew we knew about David’s powers and also that we had no idea about them.”

“There’s still their son’s witnessing, though. Did they really believe they could go out of this unscathed?”

She shrugs.

“David reportedly tried to attack his sister, he assaulted an Asa agent twice. Takeuchi recognized him. All good reasons to believe he could have lost his mind and tried to kill his family. Every judge could understand the parents for running away. They could have been only charged for being unregistered, but that’s not a capital crime.”

“But…?” Jason drags the word, tone raising in question. Whitewing says:

“But we found some good incriminating files at the house in Naha.”

Jason claps his hand in overwhelming satisfaction. He knew there was something there! His instincts never fail.

“That’s what David Wei was doing when I found him. He was hiding the documents.”

“Yes,” his friend sigh and clasps him on the shoulder. “Documents that Samantha and George Wei were probably trying to find.”

“So what now?”

“We're taking custody of them. Bringing them back to Tokyo's headquarters.”

Jason acknowledges it with a nod. He doesn't think as he finishes his breakfast and works with his team members as he always does. It's only at Naha's little airport, where they have to board their jet, the Wei's tightly kept between them, that he feels something stirring inside him again.

He sees Karma walking away, his back wide and strong as it was under his hands just a few hours before. He knows then and there that he doesn't want to fly anywhere.

 “Jason,” Whitewing stops him in his tracks. He turns around and meets her face to face.

“You still have the boat tickets,” she says, tilting her head, reading into him like letters on paper. “You’re still on holiday till Monday.”

“Make it Wednesday,” Tanaka whispers in his ears.

The realization hits him like a truck. How stupid he is! He doesn’t need them to repeat. His heart thunders in his chest as he runs.

“Karma!” he shouts and jogs to him. The man stops and turns to him.

“So uhm…” Jason mumbles, getting hot and red all over. “Do you still want to go to the islands together? You know, the tickets the guys bought for us? Because, you know, yesterday was amazing and you’re amazing and I would be really happy if you could spend this time together with me because I really really like you.” He doesn’t wait for an answer. He has to take it all out or he will implode. “It’s ok if you don’t like me too, it’s fine, I can survive. Just tell me something. Please.”

Karma shifts on his feet. Behind him, Ice Killer and Wildfire are staring as there's a Korean drama unfolding in front of them.

“I’m not good with words,” Karma says, soft as ever. He stalls and Jason doesn't know what to think. He only knows the man looks so beautiful, in his suit, with the background of Okinawa's blue sky and full, big white clouds. Karma, Minsoo, is always beautiful, even now that he might or might not break Jason's heart.

Jason is almost giving up, almost letting out an awkward, painful laugh to disperse the silence, when Minsoo says:

“I like you too. I have for a while.” Then, because that didn't do enough for Jason's heart, “I thought it was obvious.”

What? Jason's mouth opens in shock.

“The others all knew,” Minsoo adds, the final hit.

Jason hangs in there until he remembers he should probably say something. At the end that awkward laugh comes out but now has an all different meaning.

“Oh, well. That - that. Wow. I’m so happy right now,” he blabbers. Behind Minsoo, Wildfire sends him a big thumb up, Ice Killer disappears inside the jet.

They're alone on the ground, Minsoo, and Jason, and Jason has never been so happy in his entire life.

"Can I…?" he says, fingers hurting to touch the other man again.

Minsoo looks at him and smile, amused.

“Are you going to ask me every time?”   

He reaches out and they link their hands together, walking away from the rumbling jet. They watch from afar as their team flies away.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
